Breakdown of Vanwege angst blijf ik thuis.
ik
I
blijven
to stay
thuis
at home
de angst
the fear
vanwege
because of
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Questions & Answers about Vanwege angst blijf ik thuis.
What does vanwege mean and how is it used?
Vanwege is a preposition meaning because of or due to. It takes a noun directly: vanwege angst = because of fear.
How is vanwege angst different from omdat ik bang ben?
Omdat ik bang ben uses the conjunction omdat (meaning because) to introduce a full clause with its own subject and verb. Vanwege angst is a prepositional phrase that names the reason in noun form, without embedding a clause.
Why is there no article before angst?
Without an article, angst is generic or abstract: fear in general. If you refer to a specific fear, add an article: vanwege de angst = because of the fear.
Why is the verb blijf placed before the subject ik?
Dutch follows the V2 rule: the finite verb must appear in second position. Since vanwege angst is in first position, blijf comes next and ik follows.
Could I also say Ik blijf thuis vanwege angst? Does that change the emphasis?
Yes. Starting with ik keeps the standard Subject-Verb-Adverbial order (S-V-O). The main focus becomes I stay home, while vanwege angst becomes supplementary information explaining why.
Why is thuis at the end of the sentence? Could I place it elsewhere?
Thuis is an adverb of place. After inversion (triggered by the fronted phrase), adverbs of place normally follow the subject and verb. You can front thuis to emphasize location: Thuis blijf ik vanwege angst, but that shifts the focus to at home.
Why do we use blijf instead of ben?
Blijf is the verb for to stay, expressing the ongoing action of remaining at home. Ik ben thuis simply states your location without implying that you choose to stay there out of fear.